It's what you do, that makes you a hero
by shokhk
Summary: Creation will be revealed. The path of good doesn't always have a clear path. Friendships will be discovered. Heroes will rise and fall. Villains will crawl and drop.


It's what you do, that makes you a hero.

Beautiful Destiny

The mask glowed, Ichor itself seemed to be seeping through the color with the feeling of its metal not unlike solid gold. While Izuku Midoriya has never touched much gold, he imagines that it's similar to the mask. The bottom of it was pointed with a low chin including angular and pointed eye holes making it look wise and menacing, the top was much more confusing with the metal having been molded into very detailed patterns of unknown cultural origin being combined with the gold color made it have a refined and elegant appearance, something for an important figure to wear. Gold was often attributed to wealth or importance so perhaps it was a mask of ceremony or of a religious origin? The extremely intricate and different styles of engraved symbols and or glyphs certainty supporting the ceremony theory.

Shrugging, the teenager gently placed the mask in his light blue bag and walked away from the spot he found it on, a nondescript alleyway that he for some reason felt compelled to visit.

Strange… perhaps it was Destiny?

(IWYDTMYAH)

Izuku made it to his home, a little apartment for him and his mother. He came inside, went to his room or tried before his mother called out to him from the living room. "Izuku, how was school, honey?" Internally he winced, his school spirit had certainly diminished since he was found out to be quirkless all those painful years ago. "Nothing really interesting," He stopped when he remembered the mask in his bag and quickly pulled it out, "but I found this really cool mask afterwards!"

Inko Midoriya wasn't as observant as her son but she could still see how highly cared for and made with attention to detail the mask was which explains when she saw the elegance of the golden mask and said, "It's very beautiful, sweetie but you should clean it first, who knows where it's been!" Izuku blinked, he had not thought of that. Quickly thanking his mom and making his way to the bathroom, the mask seemingly protested when the water hit as no water even remained on its surface somehow, he didn't even need to dry it. Now that he more closely examined it the mask wasn't dirty or even dusty!

That was not normal, Izuku brilliantly deduced with his analytical mind. He kept wondering just what it was, who would just leave a high quality mask like this in some random alleyway? His large eyes, comically got even larger. What if it was some important artifact that a villain stole and later hid in that alleyway to collect after the heat has gone down!?

Izuku frantically checked online for anything similar to the mask but nothing, the closest he got was some ceremonial masks from the age before quirks like the ones in his history class. He breathed a sigh of relief, his home wasn't about to be ransacked by the heroes for theft. It wouldn't do for a future hero to get arrested before he even got a chance at becoming one!

He smiled when his mind went back to his dream, to be a hero that inspired hope with his never-ending smile, just like All Might himself! Green eyes lingered on his mask, maybe he could incorporate it into his hero costume somehow? The mask would definitely hide his smile if he wore it on his face, in fact he wondered how it would look right now?

Grabbing his complex mask, he wondered if it was even going to fit him. Shrugging once, nothing ventured…

Surprisingly enough it fit quite snugly on his face, the metal wasn't even cold on his face in fact it was comfortably warm. The figure in the mirror still wore the same clothes of Izuku, but the face was almost completely covered by his mask giving him an expressionless look with an almost dominating presence If his body wasn't still a scrawny fourteen year old. In other words, he looked… cool! He never looked cool before! Maybe sweet, adorable, or even shitty thanks to a certain loudmouth of a bully but never cool! It felt great, so great he didn't even notice the headache that was slowly building.

His eyes were starting to become a little blurry, his stomach upset, and his balance threatening to give out. He got a grip on a nearby shelf that kept him steady while he tried to regain control of himself. It was like his head was giving birth to a new brain and doesn't that sound painful! Slowing his breathing down to a slow halt, he kept that pace and just stood still.

Breathe in

Breathe out

In

Out

Thankfully it worked and the pain slowly seeped away. Gingerly he stood back up to full height and regained his eyesight, taking a few steps to check his balance everything seemed to be just-

_Snap_

Freezing up and looking down slowly to see what had just brokeOH GOD I JUST BROKE ALL MIGHTITWASACOLLECTORSITEMMADEWHENHEFIRSTDEBUTEDWHATAMIGONNADO!?

With shaky breaths and tears welling up he lifted up the priceless figurine that was so carelessly stepped on and prayed for any chance of repairs. No such luck it seems… All Might's mighty biceps have been broken by some red sneakers of a fanboy. Oh how the mighty have fallen…

"I've had this since I was a fan, I always held it when I watched those old videos! I even saw a documentary showing how they were made!" That was a very boring day.

Izuku groaned out loud, if only he could **_create_ **a new one to replace it, they don't even make this anymore! He went to touch his face before remembering what he was wearing, it explained why his head was getting visions of a second All Might figurine next to his broken one.

He would later deny any accusation of the high-pitched whining that came out of his mouth. "Even my head is making fun of me, I thought I could trust you brain, but even you think I'm useless!"

Izuku bet he could **_create_ **a more durable toy if he wanted, he knew how to thanks to the documentary but the materials… he looked at the broken plastic, snapped but still solid. Perhaps he could **_create _**a one of a kind All Might that has never been **_created_** before-

What was he thinking!? He can't just **_create _**his own line of products… well, if he really wanted he had to make it different so copyright laws don't bite him in half later, perhaps a better material would be more suitable.

Gasping, that weird stainless steel statue he bought on a whim! Gently dropping Broke Might and rushing to his closet, he found what he was looking for, a metal gold-painted bunny with red eyes the size of his hand. It was nothing special but it was cheap and made of a more durable material then simple factory plastic.

His mind started showing him what he could do with it, but he focused on how All Might would look like made of steel and painted a metallic gold? Focusing more on the image until the pain before a headache started to come in, he started breathing sporadically as his mask seemed to glow on the edges of his eyes. Eyes widening, this feeling… was amazing! Radiance was flowing through his head to the veins that contained his blood and eventually up to his fingertips. His entire hand was engulfed in golden light that quickly spiraled around the bunny.

It was beautiful to Izuku, light started to cover the bunny and its shape started to morph on its own. Izuku stood still in shock at the amazing display before it was over, the light dissipated with the glow of his mask and all that was left was… a golden, robotic, and red eyed All Might with a laser cannon for an arm? "Oh yeah, I imagined this in my head and it came to life." He let out a laugh, if he didn't know any better he could've called it his quirk!

Shaking his head good-naturally, he started inspecting his **_creation _**for any errors in the metal or the paint but he found none thankfully. "Hehehe, my 'quirk' isn't that funnyyyyyyyYYYYYYOH MY GOD!" Emerald eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing, he **_created_** a custom All Might with only a bunny and his imagination!? Clutching his toy to his chest tightly and struggling to even breathe, he for once cried tears of happiness.

"I-I hav-have a-a-a-a Q-QUIRK!" He laughed and laughed, it took life long enough to give him a break! Falling on his back he just laid there, reveling in his achievement as he felt anything else would make pass out from the sheer happiness that was coursing through him.

"Izuku? Honey are you alright!?" Figures his mother heard him, he was quite loud but he didn't even notice. Finding himself looking into the eyes of a worried mother he held up his **_creation _**for her to see. "Look mom, I… made it myself!" Slowly, fingers wrapped around his own toy and was just stared at. "Oh honey… it's just wonderful, I didn't know you worked in metals?"

He smiled, "I don't." His mother looked understandably confused, "Then how did you make this?" Sitting up, he imagined his **_creation _**once more with an outstretched hand out. The same feeling came back, faster even. The same beauty arrived as well only this time Light Might didn't require any bunny statue. Inko dropped her son's figurine while staring. When the glow faded, an exact replica of the one his mother was holding was revealed to her much to her own wide eyed and heavy breathing nature at the sight of his very own quirk.

_His _quirk…

_His very own _quirk…

The tears that touched his mask were disappearing when touching the bright surface of its brilliance.

They both said nothing for a while. It was honestly starting to worry Izuku, he expected her burst into tears just like he did but… nothing. "Mom, are you okay?"

She still said nothing, only walking towards him before crouching down and wrapping her arms around her precious only son.

Izuku hadn't expected her to be so quiet about it all but still hugged her back the same. "Mom?"

"Oh Izuku," The small shaky breaths she made gave him relief, she was okay, "I'm so glad… I'm so happy for you!" Her arms were strengthened with her love and she tightened her hold on Izuku.

He hugged back with just as much strength, "Me too, mom… me too…"

All the sound that was left was their comforting sobs to each other, after all these years, after the tears they spilled together at the fact that he can't be a hero due to what he was born with.

They don't have to cry anymore, they've cried enough. Now they can smile in the face of everything. They were a **_united_** front.

Her son can finally become a hero… perhaps the greatest one.

Perhaps it's his **_destiny_** after all.

(IWYDTMYAH)

Izuku and his mother both sat on their couch, relaxing after the amazing discovery Izuku made. Inko made to look at her son with a beautiful smile, "What can your… quirk do?" It felt strange finally saying those words.

"...I can **_create _**what I want as long as I have the base materials I think." He could only **_create_** it after he used the metal bunny. (R.I.P golden bunny, your sacrifice will be remembered) "Then how did you make the second one?" She was staring at his Light Might (Patent Pending) figurines with a fond look. "If I know how to make it, then I don't need any materials." And wasn't that just completely unfair, the ability to create _anything _at no cost anytime he wanted. He never lost his serene smile.

A powerful quirk, the world seemed to be giving back for once in his life.

Sniffling could be heard next to him, looking at his mother revealed her barely holding in her tears as she looked at her son. "Oh, honey… that's such a cool quirk!" Hugging her son once more, bawling this time in proper Midoriya fashion. "Mom, mom it's pretty cool but you're kinda crushing me right now."

"Can't a mother crush her son in a hug every once in a while!?" He barked out a laugh, feeling emboldened by the previously worn mask and the fact that he now has a gosh-darned quirk, he never felt more alive!

Wait… the mask?

"Mom? Can I try something?" While Inko was taken back by the sudden suggestion, she still nodded. He got out of the living embrace, outstretched his palm and tried to summon the glow once more… he tried again a second time, and again…

Fear overtook Izuku, the unfortunately familiar feeling of doubt creeping back in. Fear was molded into panic as he desperately dashed back to his room, ignoring his mother's calls and searching for hopefully not a quirk giving mask. It was right where he left it, resting comfortably on his bed, shining like a **_divine _**object but he could only think of it not unlike that of a trickster waiting for the next fool to come.

Darn him for feeling like a fool…

Picking up the unknown object and hastily putting it back on, he saw the same glow when he first created Light Might™ but it didn't bring the same joy as before. He tried to bring the feelings back, but the mask said otherwise. Quirks don't lie, Izuku knows this better than anybody.

Izuku knew the reason why… the mask gives him the quirk. Not himself, the _mask_. He's still quirkless, he's still useless! Not. HIS. _QUIRK!_

Fist pounded the floor as frustrated tears followed soon after. "WHY WHY WHY!?, IT'S NOT FAIR! THE MASK ISN'T EVEN MINE! IT BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE! I'M USING SOMEONE ELSE'S QUIRK! I STOLE IT!"

He's nothing better a dirty little thief, this mask was once someone's quirk and he STOLE IT! He stole the one thing that truly separated everyone, the one thing that made everyone unique. Everyone except for him! How pathetic was he!?

HOW PATHETIC WAS HE!?

(IWYDTMYAH)

Inko Midoriya made mistakes, all humans did. Regretful mistakes that come back to remind her every once and awhile. She was delinquent in her youth, had some bad habits that took a long time to get rid of, and she let herself go a little. There was one mistake however that was worse than all her other ones, she didn't believe in her son's dream.

She still remembered the sorrow that consumed both of them when Izuku was found to be quirkless, the phantom feeling of his tears staining the side of her face. If she could only go back and tell him that he could still be a hero then maybe he wouldn't be screaming his heart out in his room. Maybe she could've been a better mother back then, but she knew that wasn't possible. All she can do is try to tell him the one thing he needed to hear years ago, the one thing she was too much of a coward to do in the past.

She just needs to take a few more steps and she'll tell him…

Why can't she move? Is she still afraid of the small, miniscule piece of doubt in her mind that keeps telling her that one day he'll go fight the shadow and never come back? Was she still afraid of losing her precious baby boy?

…

Of course she was! But she can't allow that doubt to stop her, he _needs _her right now! If she lets her fear control her than she might lose her son to herself than the darkness that is evil. She can't…

She can't fail him a second time.

Without thinking, she felt her legs move on their own.

Her comforting hands grabbed onto Izuku's shivering shoulders and she made him look into her determined and guilt-ridden eyes. "Izuku… I'm sorry…"

"M-Mom, I should be-

"No, you listen right now! You are not a thief, you are not pathetic, and you are not quirkless!" Green hair shook in denial, "Yes I am! It's not _my quirk!_" She tightened her grip and steadied him. "Whoever that mask belonged to, they abandoned it, and they left it because it was your **_destiny _**to find it because it's _your quirk_!" Izuku's hid his eyes from Inko, he didn't want her to see his shame. "You… don't know that." He weakly tried to say. It was his mother's turn to shake her head, "Call it a mother's intuition, even if I haven't been the best one lately." Eyes partially covered by his mask widened in shock. "You've been a great mom! What do you-?

"I still regret what I said to you when you asked me if you could still be a hero, I told you I'm sorry, I shouldn't have!"

Izuku reeled in shock, she can't possibly be saying… that I can be…

Inko grabbed Izuku's head and pulled him close, looking him straight in his shattered but still not broken soul. Even with his mask covering his face she could still see her son's beautiful face beneath it. "You can be a hero! You always could, I was just too stupid to see it at first, but not anymore." The blaze in her soul kept her talking. "You. Will. Be. A. Great. Hero! It's your **_Destiny _**after all, and with your **_Mask of Creation_**, you'll be greater than even All Might… do you understand?"

(IWYDTMYAH)

Izuku understood, he understood so well.

He may not be worthy of this mask or quirk.

But maybe he can be… it's his **_duty_** as a future hero to become worthy of this power. He can't fail the world by not using this amazing quirk.

One day, he'll call it _his very own quirk_. It's his **_destiny after all… _**


End file.
